Islamic State zealots reportedly destroyed Assyrian statues of winged bulls from the Mesopotamian cities of Nineveh and Nimrud, as well as 2000-year-old statues from Hatra, an ancient city in northern Iraq.

"The Prophet ordered us to get rid of statues and relics, and his companions did the same when they conquered countries after him," an unidentified extremist said in a video of the destruction.

This statue is now thought to be totally destroyed (Image: Project Mosul)

Archaeologists said the destruction of the museums was an assault of the history of the "whole world".